Portable Apparatus for Life Support Equipment

ABSTRACT

This invention provides, among other things, a compact apparatus for transporting life support systems. In certain embodiments, the apparatus comprises a frame that is adapted to receive one or more components of a life-support system. Optionally, the frame may be configured such that it can be detachably secured to a transportable support member.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to medical equipment, and more particularly, to a portable apparatus for rapid deployment of life support equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Life support equipment is used to maintain a patient's bodily functions when the patient is critically ill or injured. Many types of life support equipment exist, including medical ventilators, dialysis machines, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines. ECMO machines, in particular, provide prolonged extracorporeal support to patients with acute, reversible cardiac and/or respiratory failure who are unresponsive to conventional medical or pharmacologic treatment. For instance, after heart surgery, a physician may transfer the patient from a heart-lung machine to an ECMO machine if the patient's heart and/or lungs are unable to function properly. An ECMO machine continuously pumps blood from the patient through a membrane oxygenator that mimics the gas exchange process of the lungs, by removing carbon dioxide and adding oxygen to the bloodstream. The oxygenated blood is then returned to the patient, thereby keeping the patient alive, even if the patient's lung or heart function is compromised.

It is often necessary to transport a patient who is on life support. For example, while attached to an ECMO apparatus, a patient may need to be transported to another area of a hospital in order to undergo tests or to receive further treatment. Transporting a patient attached to life support equipment, such as an ECMO machine, is difficult and dangerous. An ECMO machine, in particular, is a complex machine consisting of many parts. A typical ECMO machine may comprise a centrifugal (non-occlusive) pump or a roller-pump (positive displacement), a membrane oxygenator, a heat exchanger, a pressure monitor, and sufficient tubing to fluidly connect the blood vessels of the patient to the ECMO machine. Transport of these components and patients on ECMO is extremely cumbersome and potentially hazardous to a patient attached to the ECMO machine. Due to these potential difficulties and dangers, a physician may hesitate to move a patient for further treatment or testing, especially if the patient is in an extremely weakened state as the result of surgery or illness. Such delays may contribute to poor clinical outcomes if the patient is unable to be transported in a timely manner

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of this invention is the recognition that if life support equipment, such as an ECMO system, were more portable, better clinical outcomes may be obtained. Accordingly, the invention provides, among other things, an apparatus and system for making life support equipment more portable.

One aspect of the invention is to provide an apparatus that comprises a frame that is configured to receive one or more components of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system. The frame is configured to be detachably secured to a transportable support member.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide an apparatus that comprises a frame configured to receive one or more components of a life support system. The life support system may be, for example, a dialysis machine or a ventilator. The frame is configured to be detachably secured to a transportable support member.

Yet another aspect of the invention is to provide a system for transporting an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system. The system comprises a frame configured to receive one or more components of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system. The system also includes a transportable support member, and the frame is configured to be detachably secured to the transportable support member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a system for transporting an ECMO consistent with the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a frame for receiving ECMO equipment consistent with the principles of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a frame consistent with the principles of the invention. The frame is holding an arterial pump of an ECMO machine.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a frame that is consistent with the principles of the invention. The frame includes a handle and a detachable support member.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a portable frame with ECMO equipment, consistent with the principles of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of a portable frame with ECMO equipment consistent with the principles of the invention. The frame includes additional support members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for facilitating the transport of life support equipment. Generally, the transport of any type of life support equipment is contemplated by the invention. Non-limiting examples include a dialysis machine, a ventilator, and an ECMO. The apparatus typically comprises a frame that is configured to receive one or more components of the life support equipment. Optionally, the frame may be designed to hold together various components of the life support equipment, such that at least some of the components of the life support equipment are transportable as a unitary entity. In certain implementations, the frame is configured to hold together all of the components of a life support system, such that the entire life support system may be readily transported as a unitary entity.

The specific shape and size of the frame is not particularly limited and generally will be determined by the shape and size of the life support equipment that the frame will hold. In certain useful embodiments, the frame will have a recessed portion that has the same shape and dimensions as the life support system components that the frame is designed to hold. In this way, the frame provides a rigid exoskeleton that not only holds together the components of the life support system, but also helps to protect the components from mechanical trauma. In certain embodiments, the frame comprises a first retaining member and a second retaining member held together by a plurality of support members. The first retaining member may be, for example, a rigid square- or rectangular-shaped object that serves as a base for supporting the life support system components. The second retaining member may be, for example, a rigid square- or rectangular-shaped object that serves as a top to hold down one or more of the components of the life support system. The shapes of the support members that connect the first retaining member and second retaining member are not particularly limited, and may be any shape that provides the requisite mechanical support while allowing the life support equipment to be inserted into and removed from the frame. Optionally, the frame may comprise one or more handles to facilitate the handling of the life support equipment to be transported. If desired, the handles may have one or more additional support members affixed thereto. Such support members provide the user with additional possible configurations for affixing and transporting the life support equipment. Moreover, the additional support members may be used to increase the stability of the frame with respect to mechanical forces that otherwise would knock over the frame. If desired, additional support members may be attached to other parts of the frame as well. For instance, one or more additional support members may be attached to the side or base of the frame. The additional support members may be formed out of any suitable material, non-limiting examples of which include cylindrical metal stock or metal plates.

The frame may also comprise additional stabilizing members. For instance the stabilizing members may be connected to the support members, and may be oriented horizontally or vertically on the support members, to provide additional stability to the frame. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilizing members are oriented like the second retaining member (the basis of the frame), as shown in FIG. 6, frame 620.

In certain implementations consistent with the principles of the invention, the frame is made of a material that is suitable for use in a hospital setting. In certain useful embodiments, the material used to construct the frame is a material that is capable of being sterilized repeatedly using conventional sterilization methods. Such methods include, for example, heat, photo-sterilization (e.g., via ultraviolet radiation) or chemical sterilization. The material used to construct the frame may be, for example, a metal, non-limiting examples of which include aluminum, steel, and stainless steel. Alternatively, the material may be a polymeric material, such as a plastic. Non-limiting examples of suitable polymeric materials include polycarbonate, polyurethane, and polypropylene. Combinations of the foregoing materials are also expressly contemplated by the invention. In a preferred embodiment, the material is stainless steel.

Optionally, the frame may be equipped with one or more detachable support elements that support one or more components of the life-support system that extend from the frame. For example, when the life-support system to be transported is an ECMO machine, the detachable support element may be a removable clamp that is used to secure the tubing that fluidly connects the ECMO machine to the blood vessels of the patient. The detachable support element, when used in connection with an ECMO, may also be used to support other ECMO components, such as an oxygenator holder and/or a centrifugal driver or other non-occlusive displacement system, as well as any positive displacement system made to move blood or another fluid through an ECMO circuit. Of course, the invention also recognizes that such support elements need not be detachable in all cases. For example, the invention expressly contemplates support elements that are permanently affixed to a frame and which support tubing that extends from an ECMO machine to the patient.

In certain embodiments, the frame is configured to be detachably secured to a transportable support member. In this context, the term “detachably secured” means that a user may attach the frame to or detach the frame from the transportable support member repeatedly as needed during the normal course of operations. The frame may be detachably secured to the transportable support member via any fastener known in the art, including a clamp, Velcro™, and the like.

The transportable support member may be any support member that possesses sufficient mechanical rigidity to support the frame when attached and that is capable of being transported. The specific configuration of the transportable support member is not particularly limited. For example, the transportable support member may have either a vertical or a horizontal configuration. A non-limiting example of a vertical support member includes an IV pole, which may used concurrently with the life support system to dispense fluids and/or medicine to a patient in need thereof. A non-limiting example of a horizontal transport member includes the railing of a patient's bed. It should be noted that this invention also contemplates the scenario in which more than one transportable support member is used in connection with a given frame. For instance, a frame containing the life support equipment to be transferred with the patient may be detachably secured to an IV pole during the initial leg of a patient's journey, but detachably secured to different transportable support member (e.g., a railing on a bed or stretcher) during another leg of the patient's journey. It should be noted that the transportable support member need not be kept with the frame at all times. For example, a transportable support member may be permanently affixed to the interior of an emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance or a medi-vac helicopter, and used only when a patient on a life-support system or an organ donor is being transported, as described herein.

In certain embodiments, the transportable support member is equipped with a bracket member that is configured to receive and/or secure the frame. In this regard, the invention provides a system for transporting an ECMO machine, wherein the system includes an IV pole equipped with a bracket member near its base to help detachably secure a frame containing an ECMO machine to the IV pole. The bracket member may provide a platform to help secure the frame to the transportable support member. The frame may be secured to the bracket member (and hence the transportable support member) via the use of any connecting element known in the art, non-limiting examples of which include removable pins, Velcro™, clamps, straps, elastic bands, hooks and the like. Combinations of such connecting elements are also contemplated by the invention.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the frame (optionally with one or more detachable support elements) is used to deploy a life-support system, without the use of a transportable support member. For instance, the frame itself (optionally with one or more detachable support elements) may be used to deploy an ECMO rapidly to a remote accident site or battlefield, where it is desirable to travel quickly and with as little gear as possible. Once the patient to be treated has stabilized, the frame is preferably detachably secured to a transportable support member before transporting the patient to a hospital. In certain embodiments, the transportable support member is affixed to the interior of an emergency response vehicle, such as an ambulance or medi-vac helicopter.

This invention may also be used in connection with organ harvesting. For instance, the frame (optionally with one or more detachable support elements) may be used to deploy an ECMO rapidly to keep the organs of a newly deceased person viable during transport to a center where the organs are to be harvested.

EXAMPLE 1 Rapid ECMO Deployment Unit

As is known in the art, an ECMO machine typically is comprised of several components, which may include polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing for fluidly connecting the ECMO machine to the blood vessels of the patient, an arterial pump and control console, an oxygenation reservoir, and a centrifugal driver. This invention provides, among other things, an apparatus for transporting an ECMO. An exemplary embodiment of such an apparatus is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus comprises a frame 100 with a handle 170. Frame 100 is detachably secured onto bracket member 110, which in turn is secured to the base of IV pole 120 that is equipped with solution 130 to be dispensed to the patient and priming reservoir 152. Also shown in FIG. 1 are ECMO components which reside in and on frame 100. In this case, the frame 100 contains a Jostra® arterial pump console 142. Attached to frame 100 is a Jostra® rotaflow centrifugal driver 144 attached to PVC tubing 150. FIG. 1 also shows a detachable support element 160, which in this case is a detachable arm that supports the centrifugal pump, as well as detachable support element 185, which is a support arm for holding the oxygenator of an ECMO system. As depicted in FIG. 1, detachable support elements 160 and 185 are attached to IV pole 120, but it is to be understood that these detachable support elements can be readily fastened to frame 100 for transport as needed.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged side view of frame 100, without the corresponding ECMO components or transportable support member. As shown in FIG. 2, frame 100 comprises a first retaining member 220 and a second retaining member 230 which are connected by a plurality of support members 200. Also shown is a handle 170, which is part of the frame 100. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged side view of frame 100 housing a Jostra® arterial pump console 142. Note that the shape and dimensions of frame 100 shown in FIG. 3 are chosen to match the ECMO components stored therein.

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged side view of frame 100 housing contains a Jostra® arterial pump console 142. Also shown is a detachable support element 160 which is clamped onto first retaining member 220,and which supports centrifugal driver 144. A second detachable support element 185 is attached to the handle 170 for supporting the oxygenator of the ECMO. The configuration shown in FIG. 4 is particularly useful for rapid deployment of an ECMO, as it is compact and readily transported.

FIG. 5 shows that in this operational state, the footprint of the ECMO is still relatively small, making it suitable for use in confined spaces, such as the interior of a medi-vac helicopter or ambulance. In particular, FIG. 5 shows frame 100 with detachable support element 500 supporting oxygenator 510 and detachable support member 160 supporting centrifugal driver 144. Centrifugal driver 144 is connected to PVC tubing 150. Also shown is arterial pump console 142 housed in frame 100.

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged side view of frame 100, with the corresponding ECMO components and transportable support member. As shown in FIG. 6, frame 100 comprises a first retaining member 220 and a second retaining member 230 which are connected by a plurality of support members 200. Also shown is a handle 170, which is part of the frame 100. FIG. 6 also shows three additional support members 610, 620, and 630.

Many modifications and variations of this invention can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The specific embodiments described herein are offered by way of example only, and the invention is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus comprising a frame configured to receive one or more components of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system; wherein the frame is configured to be detachably secured to a transportable support member.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transportable support member is a vertical support member.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vertical support member is an IV pole.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transportable support member is a horizontal support member.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the horizontal support member is affixed to a bed or a stretcher.
 6. The apparatus according claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises a handle.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises a detachable support element adapted to support a component of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is configured to be detachably secured to the transportable support member via a connecting element on the transportable support member.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the detachable support element is a clamp.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is adapted to be received by a bracket member on the transportable support member.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the transportable support member is an IV pole.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frame comprises a first retaining member and a second retaining member, and wherein first retaining member and said second retaining member are connected by a plurality of support members.
 13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said support members further comprise an additional support members.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said second retaining member further comprises a stabilizing member.
 15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first retaining member, said second retaining member, or said plurality of support members comprise a material capable of being sterilized by heat, photo-sterilization or chemical sterilization.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the material is a metal.
 17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the metal is stainless steel.
 18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the material is a polymeric material.
 19. An apparatus comprising a frame configured to receive one or more components of a life support system; wherein the frame is configured to be detachably secured to a transportable support member.
 19. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said life support system is selected from the group consisting of a dialysis machine and a ventilator.
 21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the transportable support member is a vertical support member.
 22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the vertical support member is an IV pole.
 23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the transportable support member is a horizontal support member.
 24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the horizontal support member is affixed to a bed or a stretcher.
 25. The apparatus according claim 19, wherein the frame further comprises a handle.
 26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the frame further comprises a detachable support element adapted to support a component of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system.
 27. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the frame is configured to be detachably secured to the transportable support member via a connecting element on the transportable support member.
 28. The apparatus according to claim 26 or claim 27, wherein the connecting element is a clamp.
 29. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the frame is adapted to be received by a bracket member on the transportable support member.
 30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the transportable support member is an IV pole.
 31. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said frame comprises a first retaining member and a second retaining member, and wherein first retaining member and said second retaining member are connected by a plurality of support members.
 30. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said first retaining member, said second retaining member, or said plurality of support members comprise a material capable of being sterilized by heat, photo-sterilization, or chemical sterilization.
 31. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the material is a metal.
 32. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the material is a polymeric material.
 33. A system for transporting an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system, the system comprising a frame configured to receive one or more components of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system, and a transportable support member, wherein the frame is configured to be detachably secured to a transportable support member.
 34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the transportable support member is a vertical support member.
 35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the transportable support member is a horizontal support member.
 36. The system according to claim 34, wherein the vertical support member is an IV pole.
 37. The system according to claim 34, wherein the IV pole further comprises a bracket member adapted to receive the frame.
 38. The system according to claim 33, wherein the frame further comprises a detachable support member adapted to support a component of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system. 